


Down River

by thatwriterlady



Series: 30 Day Writing Challenge 2018 [16]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: #sorry not sorry, Attraction, Dean Winchester Likes Castiel, F/M, Flirting, Guide Castiel, Guide Madison, I Didn't Have The Time, Implied Smut, M/M, Sam Winchester Likes Madison, Tourist Dean, Tourist Sam, Vacation, canoeing, naked swimming, sorry there's no smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 10:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16637810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: When Sam talks his brother into going on a canoeing trip that will take them through rapids, Dean isn't exactly keen on it, until he gets an eyeful of his guide.  Suddenly getting in the canoe and spending the next three days with this gorgeous man sounds like the best idea in the world.





	Down River

**Author's Note:**

> This is Day 16. I hope you like it. I dunno, I sort of had a mixture of Deliverance and The River Wild in my head as I wrote this, without the bad things that happened in either movie. Just the canoeing is what came to mind. Hopefully you like this one. Enjoy!

**Day 16- Paddles**

 

Dean stood at the edge of the river and watched the current that was moving at a pretty good pace.  This was supposed to be the easy part of the river.  He wondered how Sam had talked him into this.  A hand clapped against his back, right between his shoulder blades, making him grimace.  He looked over to see Sam standing there, grinning as he looked at the river.

 

“I’m not sure I can do this, Sam.  This shit is terrifying, and neither of us knows what the hell we’re doing,”

 

“That’s why we have guides.  Wait until you see yours,”  Sam’s grin worried him. 

 

“Alright, do you have everything you’re going to need?”  A woman with dark brown hair and big brown eyes walked up to them, her hands on her hips and an expectant look on her face.  She was beautiful, but Dean wasn’t interested, so why would Sam even say that?

 

“I packed the supplies you told me to, and I have a life jacket for both my brother and myself,”  Sam replied as he grabbed both jackets and thrust one at Dean.

 

“We need life jackets?  How dangerous is this river?”  Dean frowned as he looked at it again.  The water was moving pretty fast…

 

“Everyone wears one, including us.  Even the strongest swimmer can get pulled under by a strong current.  Let’s make sure yours is on securely,”  The man that had suddenly appeared and was helping Dean with his jacket was fucking _hot_!  He assumed this was his guide because the woman was helping Sam load her stuff and his into one of the canoes.

 

“Ok, but how dangerous is this river?  Why is no one answering me?”  Dean asked again.  The man smiled softly as he tugged the straps at Dean’s sides tight.

 

“We’re taking one of the slower rapids.  Any river carries with it an element of danger but Madison and I, we’ve been traversing this river for many years and we know how to keep you and Sam safe,”  The man looked at Sam who was discussing with Madison how to use the paddles.

 

“My brother chose this for our vacation.  I think he's nuts, but hey, I'm game to try it,”  Dean looked out at the river again and frowned.  He really hoped this wasn't as hard as it looked.  When his eyes fell on the man again, he looked at Dean and smiled.  His eyes were blue and they seemed to almost glow in the sunlight.  God, he was gorgeous!

 

“My name is Cas, and you’ll be riding with me.  What you’re going to do is listen to what I tell you.  If I give you an order, you follow it, understand?”

 

Dean nodded quickly.  “Got it.  I can follow orders,”

 

Cas’ smile grew wider.  “Good.  We’re going to make camp about two hours down river.  We’ll need rest and a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow morning we’ll get another two hours downriver and then we’ll make camp again because that will be right before we reach the rapids.  It would be dangerous to keep going at that point as we’ll all be exhausted.  You’ll be pleased to know that at the second camp, there’s a hot spring.  It is my recommendation to go sit in it.  Your muscles will thank you for that,”

 

Dean found himself smiling back.  “Ok, that sounds good.  I lift weights, that will come in handy for this, right?”

 

“It will, but you’ll also find yourself using muscles you never thought you would.  I won’t lie, you’ll be sore after this, but it’s exhilarating, and hopefully, this will be a memory you can look back fondly on for the rest of your life.  Maybe you’ll even come back to do it again,”  Cas grabbed his pack, so Dean did the same.  They headed down to the second canoe and began loading their stuff.  Cas was making sure it was all secure and Dean couldn’t help but stare at the man’s ass and legs.  He was muscular, but not overly so.  It was clear that taking these trips down the river had given him a strong body, and he was even hotter because of it.  When he stood back up and looked over his shoulder, he caught Dean staring.  He smirked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

 

“You ready?”

 

“No, but I suppose I need to swallow down my fears and get in the canoe,”

 

Cas chuckled and pointed to the front.  “You sit there.  I’ll be in the back.  Remember, if I tell you to do something, don’t hesitate, just do it,”

 

Dean nodded as they pushed the canoe down into the water and he climbed in.  His heart was pounding in his chest as Cas climbed in behind him.  Madison and Sam were already paddling towards the center of the river, so Cas told him to start paddling to follow them.  He did exactly as he was told, and then they were off, moving along the current.  It was both terrifying and exhilarating.  Mostly it was terrifying.  He liked adventure, which was why he’d agreed to do this with his brother, but whitewater canoeing hadn’t been what he’d expected Sam to suggest when he’d said they should take a vacation.  He’d also expected a raft, not a canoe, but he supposed the canoe was easier to maneuver.  Didn’t make this any less scary.

 

They moved along at a pretty good clip, and Cas guided their canoe around rocks, past a startled bear who was hunting for fish, and around quite a bit of debris from fallen trees.  When they reached the first campground Dean was exhausted, and he understood completely why they were stopping here.  The sun was still up as it was only late afternoon, but they made camp and Dean got his tent set up and his sleeping bag laid out while Cas and Madison got the wood ready for the fire they’d be lighting once the sun went down.

 

“Would you like to explore a bit before we have dinner?”  Cas had come up behind him, startling him and making him jump. 

 

“What?  Explore?  Aren’t there bears?”

 

Cas chuckled and cocked that eyebrow again.  Fuck, he was sexy when he did that.

 

“You’re afraid of bears?”

 

“What?  No,”  Dean huffed. 

 

“Then would you like to?”

 

“Yeah, sure.  I’m bringing my bear repellant though,”  Dean grabbed his and clipped it to his belt.  It was an Army issue, complete with two canteens of water and his bowie knife secured in its sheath.  He wasn’t fooling around when it came to possible dangerous wildlife.  Cas seemed unconcerned though as he headed towards a path and started walking.  Dean hurried after him.

 

“Sam and Madison aren’t coming?”  He asked.

 

“They’re exploring a different area of the forest,”  Cas replied.  “I’m taking you up to Edlund’s Cliff.  It’s beautiful up there.  I noticed the camera on your belt.  You can take wonderful pictures.”

 

“Cool, I’d really like that,”  Dean kept pace with him all the way up to the cliff.  He got the feeling that Cas expected him to get winded and want to stop to rest, but he exercised regularly, including running and hiking.  Even though the walk up to the cliff was steep, he’d kept up without any problem.

 

At the top Dean stopped to look out over the valley, and the river below.  His eyes followed along the bend where the river disappeared from sight.

 

“We’re going around that curve there?”  He asked.  Cas came up beside him, standing close enough that he could smell the man’s sweat, and something else.  It smelled kind of earthy.  He liked it.

 

“We are.  Starting tomorrow, about a half hour in, after we go around that bend, the current is going to get stronger.  You’ll have to stay sharp, listen to what I tell you, and stay alert,”

 

“I can do that,”  Dean took his camera out and began taking pictures.  The view here was stunning and he wanted to capture it.  He snapped a couple pictures of Cas too as he looked out over the river and the forest beyond.  Those blue eyes fell on him when he realized he was being photographed and he smiled.

 

“You’re taking my picture?”

 

“I like the view,”  Dean flirted.  He wasn’t sure how Cas would take that, and he held his breath as he waited to see if he had offended the man or not.  When Cas smiled wider, he knew he’d been reading the man right.

 

“Oh really?”

 

“Yeah, really,”  Dean snapped another picture, wanting to capture the way Cas looked with the sun shining down on him.  It made the blue of his eyes stand out even more. 

 

“Feel up to some more hiking?”  Cas asked as he took the camera and snapped some pictures of Dean.

 

“Sure, where are we going next?”

 

“Well, I’d like to wash this sweat off, and there’s a waterfall not far from here.  That’s where Madison took Sam.  They’ll be coming up here next, if Sam has the energy for it,”  Cas handed the camera back, his hand lingering where his fingers brushed against Dean’s before he let go and started back down the trail.  Dean felt like maybe there was a double meaning there and he was eager to find out.

 

Back down at the campsite Sam and Madison were sitting back against logs near where the fire would be lit later.  They looked up when Dean and Cas walked over.

 

“You taking him up to the cliff?”  Cas asked.  Madison glanced over at Sam before looking up at Cas again.

 

“Maybe in the morning.  He’s tired, I’m tired, we just want to relax for now,”

 

Cas nodded and looked back at Dean.  “Still want to go to the waterfall?”

 

“Washing off this sweat sounds like a good idea, let me grab my towel and some clean underwear,”

 

Cas grabbed his too and while Dean was fishing around in his bag in his tent, Sam poked his head in.

 

“The water’s kind of cold, just to warn you.  We took a dip to get the sweat and dirt off too, but it took a few minutes to get acclimated to the water.  It’s not freezing or anything, just a bit cold,”

 

“Thanks for the heads up.  Did you just jump in to get used to it?”  Dean asked as he grabbed the underwear.

 

“Yeah.  Better than doing the slow adjustment,”  Sam replied.

 

“Ok.  I just want to get this sweat off.  Wait til you go up to the cliff.  You definitely want to do that, it’s an amazing view.  You can see the bend in the river where we’re going tomorrow, so you know what’s ahead of us,”  Dean took off his belt, drank some of the water in his canteen and set it all aside before throwing his towel over his shoulder.

 

“I’m looking forward to it,”  Sam said.  “Do, uh, you like Cas?”

 

Dean knew at some point he’d be asking that.  “He’s hot, and he didn’t stop me when I flirted, so I think maybe he likes me too,”

 

“Yeah, I see the way he looks at you.  He’s interested.  Don’t fuck with him though if you’re not serious.  We’re only going to be here a few days and it’s not right to lead him on,”

 

Of course Sam would throw the facts at him.  He was good for that.

 

“I’m aware of that, Sammy, but you never know, I could come back, maybe see if there’s really a spark between us or not.  So far, I like him.  If it turns out there’s really something between us, well, I can always make my shop here my home base.  Right now though, I want to go wash this sweat off.  After hiking up to the cliff I’m smelling pretty ripe,” 

 

Sam sat back and Dean climbed back out of the tent.  He almost fell over himself when he caught sight of Cas.  The man had taken his shirt off and was standing there bare-chested with his towel thrown casually over his shoulder.  He had that eyebrow cocked again as he looked at him, so Dean quickly whipped his sweat-damp tee shirt off and tossed it back into his tent.  The way Cas’ eyes darkened told him the man was definitely interested.  That gave him confidence as he walked over to stand next to him.

 

“So, where’s this waterfall?”

 

“You should bring your camera, the view is spectacular.  It’s not a small waterfall,”  Cas told him.  Dean nodded and went back to grab the camera.

 

“We’ll be back in about an hour.  Maddy, can you get the fire lit ok if we’re not back before nightfall?”

 

She nodded and waved them off.  “Go, take pictures before it gets dark,”

 

Cas started off on another trail and Dean fell in beside him.

 

“The waterfall is called Miller’s Waterfall.  It was discovered by Perceval Miller in 1835.  It’s one of the largest in the state and feeds directly into the river.  It has a stunning view but it’s dangerous to climb to the top, so we’re going to stay at the bottom.  The view is still amazing, I think you’ll like it,” 

 

They reached the waterfall fifteen minutes later and Dean had to stop and stare in awe.  It really was as magnificent as Cas had said.  He quickly took at least a dozen pictures before he realized Cas was already in the water, and his shorts and boxers had been left on the shore. 

 

“You coming in or what?”  Cas asked.  Damn that eyebrow of his.  Dean stuck a toe in the water and concluded that his brother was right.  The water was cooler than he would like, but it was nowhere near freezing.  It would be refreshing, or so he hoped.  He stripped off the khaki pants Sam had insisted he wear instead of jeans, and with Cas watching, he stripped his boxer briefs off too.  He laid the camera on top of his clothes, out of range of the water and walked to the edge.  Much more gracefully than he’d anticipated, he dove into the water. 

 

The cold shocked him for a moment, and then he was surfacing, shaking the water off his face.  Cas swam over and treaded water in front of him.

 

“The view is wonderful, isn’t it?”

 

Dean looked up at the waterfall.  It really was.

 

“It’s beautiful.  Can we go behind it?”

 

“Sure, there’s a cave back there,”  Cas started swimming towards it so Dean followed after him.

 

It felt wonderful having the water cascade down over him, so Dean lingered under it, his eyes closed and his face turned upward as he enjoyed himself.  A hand on his arm had him pushing past the waterfall so he could open his eyes. 

 

“Wow, I’ve never experienced anything like this before,”  Dean said as he looked up at the cave. 

 

“It’s one of my favorite places.  It’s very peaceful here,”  Cas used the rocks for leverage and climbed up so he was sitting at the edge of the cave.  Dean looked up at him, contemplating what that meant.

 

“So, you come here a lot?”

 

“I do.  I like it here,”

 

“With the people you take on these tours?”  Dean was at risk of losing interest thinking that this might just be a hookup spot for the man.

 

“No, I don’t.  I’ve shown people the waterfall, but I let them explore on their own.  You’re the first person I’ve told about the cave,”

 

Dean looked up at him and the way he was leaning back on his elbows, putting his entire, naked body on display.  He was even more gorgeous than Dean had first thought.  Carefully, using the rocks as toe holds, he climbed up into the cave and sat down beside him.

 

“How far back does the cave go?”

 

Cas looked over his shoulder at the darkness behind them.

 

“Not very far.  It’s pretty shallow, but there are a ton of cave crickets in there, clinging to the walls and ceiling.  They’re creepy and I don’t like being around them, so I stick to the edge here,”

 

“Cave crickets?  I think I saw those in Mammoth Cave when Sam and I went a couple of years back.  I’m tall so my head was brushing against the ceiling at some points.  I had to duck to avoid the bugs.  Sam had to crouch down even more since he’s taller,”  Dean shivered just thinking about them.

 

“Well, we’re safe here,”  Cas’ eyes were wandering down his body and Dean found that he liked that.

 

“Do you do this with a lot of tourists?” 

 

Cas licked his lips and shook his head.  “No.  Never met anyone I was attracted to before.  Shame you’re leaving after heading down river.  I like looking at your body; you’re truly beautiful,”

 

“Yeah?  Think you want to do more than just look?”  Dean teased.  The wicked grin the other man gave sent shivers down his spine.

 

“I _definitely_ want to do more than just look…”

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

They were smiling as they made their way back to camp, and Dean ignored his brother’s knowing smile.  The blissed out look on both of their faces told Sam exactly what they had been up to.  It was why he’d brought along the lube and condoms that Dean hadn’t.  He’d laid them on top of Dean’s sleeping bag while he’d been at the waterfall, and while Madison had been fishing around in her own tent, looking for the pans to cook dinner with, he’d gone to his brother’s tent to leave his gifts.

 

Dean slipped into his tent to grab a clean tee shirt but a second later he was throwing the flap back and staring intently at his brother.  Sam just grinned and began helping Madison get the fire lit.  Dean caught Cas as he was coming out of his tent and motioned for him to join him in his own.  As they slipped inside, Dean zipped the flap shut.

 

“They’re going to have sex again, aren’t they,”  Madison snickered as she started heating the beans she’d brought over the fire.

 

“Yep.  I think we should move our tents a bit further away, otherwise we’re going to be hearing that most of the night,”  Sam laughed.  She grinned and shook her head.

 

“It’s nice to see Cas actually finding someone he’s attracted to.  You telling him about your brother before he arrived really piqued his interest.  I saw the way he looked at Dean the moment his eyes landed on him.  Your brother is quite attractive, but Cas thought he was absolutely gorgeous.  He pulled me aside after you came last week and told me so.  I reminded him of what you’d told him, about how sweet and nice your brother is, and I knew he wanted to ask Dean out.  The fact that they had sex wasn’t very surprising.  I’ll even bet it was Cas that initiated it.  They got that awkward first time out of the way, I guess.  It should be smooth sailing from here,” 

 

“I don’t think Dean is going to want to leave after this.  He’ll make the shop here the primary one that he works out of if he decides he likes Cas enough to stay.  I hope he does, he hasn’t had a decent relationship in years.  His last boyfriend up and left him after deciding he wasn’t in love with him anymore.  Broke his heart.  He’s pretty much been alone since then, only having a single date here and there.  I just knew he’d like Cas, which is why when I came last week and I saw how he reacted to my brother’s picture, I decided to upsell how great Dean is.  My brother doesn’t know that Cas and I were in college together before Cas got his job here as a ranger and guide.  He’s been after me for years to come do this trip, so I talked Dean into doing it with me.  I’ll leave that up to him to tell Dean,”

 

Soft moans were coming from Dean’s tent and they both looked at it for a moment before laughing softly.

 

“I’m definitely moving my tent,”  Madison giggled.

 

“So am I,”  Sam agreed.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

The following morning Madison took Sam up to Edlund’s Cliff while Dean and Cas had another vigorous, and this time _loud_ round of sex.  When Sam and Madison came back, they all settled down to eat breakfast before getting back in the canoes.  Everything became serious again and every order Cas gave, Dean quickly obeyed as they traversed the next part of the river.  He was really enjoying this trip, much more than he’d initially thought he would, and he found himself wanting to do this again.  The stop at the next campsite was great, and they all enjoyed the hot spring together before having dinner and heading to bed.  Sex was off the table as they needed as much sleep as possible before the last leg of the trip.  Tomorrow was the rapids, and Dean was nervous enough as it was.

 

The rapids were both thrilling and terrifying, and their canoe nearly flipped at least three times.  Cas barked orders though, and Dean did what he said, therefore the canoe stayed upright.  When they passed the rapids the river evened out again, and an hour later they were making their final stop.  There was a truck waiting, and after loading the back with their bags and securing the canoes to the roof, they began the trip back upriver. 

 

Dean fell asleep in the back seat, his head coming to rest on Cas’ shoulder as Madison drove.  Sam had fallen asleep too, his head leaning against the window as he snored softly.  Her eyes met Cas’ in the rearview mirror.

 

“You like him,”  She spoke softly so she didn’t wake either Winchester.

 

“I like him very much, he’s amazing,”  Cas said with a smile.  She smiled back.

 

“Good.  I heard he’s thinking of staying so he can be near you.  That’s pretty cool,”

 

“We talked about that more last night.  He is staying, and I told him I want him to come stay with me.  We’re going out tonight, on a real date.  I can’t wait.  It’s been forever since I’ve been on a date.  Mick preferred to stay in, and he said _I_ was boring.  He was the boring one!  He wouldn’t come do the canoeing, he wouldn’t go hiking with me, he wouldn’t do anything except work or sit around on my couch watching his shows.  Dean’s making plans for us to go hiking, and he wants to explore the caverns at the other end of the park.  He likes watching TV, but he’s also very active and wants to do things.  I like that about him.  He’s romantic.  He picked flowers for me, but only after deemed there were enough left behind for the bees.  We’re going to dinner tonight but since I’m off tomorrow, he’s taking me to go wine tasting.  Is it weird that I’m already so crazy about him?”

 

She smiled again.  “No, not at all.  Sam told me too how perfect he thought his brother was for you.  He said Dean was a romantic at heart, and that even though he liked to sweep whoever he is seeing off their feet, he likes to show them that he’s genuine in his affections.  I think you really lucked out.  Treat him good because I think he’s going to spoil you.  You deserve that,”

 

He smiled and reached down to hold the hand Dean had left lying in his lap.  He’d never been spoiled before, and he’d never had anyone that was romantic towards him either.  This was exciting and he was looking forward to this.

 

“I want that, and I want to do it for him in return.  I’m looking forward to dinner with him tonight,”

 

“And the sex afterward?”  She teased.  He grinned at her as he tried not to laugh and wake Dean up.

 

“He’s a fantastic lover, keeps up with me every step of the way.  Best sex I’ve ever had, so yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to it,”

 

Madison glanced over at Sam’s sleeping form.  “You know, he told me he likes me and asked me out,”

 

“Really?  And what did you say?”  He asked.

 

“I like him too, so I said yes.  He’s much more reserved than his brother, but I think he’s going to be amazing in his own way,”

 

“I’m happy for you, this was the best trip downriver I think I’ve ever had.  I may very well have gotten a boyfriend out of this,”  He said.  She nodded in agreement.

 

“This was an absolutely fantastic trip.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this. We're off to the next one!


End file.
